A group of more than 300 nurses and technicians at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning voted to ratify new three-year labor agreements with the hospital, three months after their previous contract expired.

The new contracts introduce additional safeguards against workplace violence and safety hazards and seek to address scheduling issues. All covered employees will be guaranteed PPE access in the event of a future pandemic, and nurses will receive 20% extra pay as incentives for filling weekend shifts. Wages will be increased by 3% each year under the terms of the contracts.

Ninety percent of ACMH’s nurses voted yes on the new contract, along with 88% of hospital techs.